Echoes of War

Rayne

Description:

Bio:

Rayne is a medical doctor and former combat medic of the Republic Army. Dishonorably discharged for cowardice that resulted in the deaths of twelve fellow troopers, she has been drifting through life until recently. A former squadmate, Zayne, has coaxed her back into action. Now she is working with an odd crew of Jedi and mercenaries, taking whatever jobs happen to come her way.

Despite her training, and the discipline it took to earn it, Rayne is an adrenaline junkie who frequently throws herself into dangerous situations. She is also relatively amoral. Though loyal to those she sees as allies, Rayne is perfectly willing to use violence and torture if it means earning a few credits. This makes her dangerous to her enemies, but may also lead her friends into harm’s way.

History

Rayne was born on the planet Naboo, in the city, Dee’Ja Peak. Her parents were fourth generation farmers. Rayne’s father, Kelvin, was determined to make something more of himself. His daughter grew up on stories of how he would take the family away from the simple existence they were born into. His passion for escaping the small town life overcame his morals, and he was constantly involved in failed criminal ventures. His daughter seemed to inherit his wild ways, much to his wife’s dismay.

When Rayne was twelve, the Trade Federation Army invaded Naboo. Though initially a relatively bloodless occupation, when Queen Amidala refused to sign over the planet, Federation troops began massacring civilians. In Dee’Ja Peak, Rayne and her family were forced to watch as five hundred of the townsfolk were cut down by droid blasters. The event scarred the girl, teaching her the fragility of life and reinforcing her desire to escape.

Having watched her father try and fail to get away from the city via criminal means, Rayne took another route. She though herself into her studies. Her focus was the medical field. By her sixteenth birthday, her scholastic excellence won her a university placement and scholarship in the capital city, Theed. Elated, she moved to the city and took up residence in the university’s dormitories.

Rayne could not have imagined all the activities available in the city. She quickly lost herself in adrenaline-filled pursuits. Racing speeder bikes through the city streets, halo jumps, and diving in swamps known to house dangerous predators were just some of her pastimes. Her school stipend paid for some of them; a proficiency for games of chance covered even more. Despite her thrill seeking, Rayne kept up with her studies and graduated with her medical license. She became a resident doctor at a local clinic though she would not stay there long.

A year later, the Clone Wars broke out. Rayne signed up as a medic within days of recruitment opening. She pushed through an accelerated training course and was placed with a squad. She saw action on a handful of planets during her first year. Her hatred of combat droids served her well in various skirmishes. Shortly after her enlistment anniversary, her squad was deployed to Christophsis. The team was ambushed during a patrol. An enemy missile detonated in the midst of their convoy. When Rayne recovered her senses, bodies were everywhere.

As the clone troopers regrouped, droid ground forces engaged them from a nearby ridge. Rayne’s mind was carried back to the massacre at Dee’Ja Peak. The bodies around her took on the faces of her friends and neighbors. All of them seemed to call to her for help, pleading to be saved. Unable to shake the vision, she broke and fled.

When she was caught, Rayne discovered twenty six more troopers were killed after she retreated. Twelve of those died after the battle ended because medical help was minutes out. Those twelve were troopers she could have saved had she held the line. She was discharged from the army and returned to Naboo.

Rayne was little more than a ghost for the next six months. She moved back into her parents’ home, deflected questions about what had happened, and simply concentrated on existing from day to day. However, it was not her fate to remain. Zane, one of the clone troopers from her unit, found her. He had been scarred by the missile explosion on Christophsis, both physically and mentally. Seeing his dead brothers, he began to question why they had to fight. Why did a consequence of birth relegate him to a soldier in someone else’s army? He quit and had, like Rayne, been drifting since.

Zane asked Rayne to join him, to help him find a life worth fighting for. Though she refused, he continued to pressure her over the next few weeks. Having one of the troopers she believed she had failed prove himself willing to believe in her again was a powerful lure. Finally, she agreed. The pair combined their money and booked passage to Coruscant. Once there, they began looking for a new path.